Cotton-chopper.



G. H. HANGOGK.

COTTON OHOPPBB. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1910.

Patented-Aug. 16,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

abbot/wags nnrrnin STATES PATENT osmon.

GEORGE H. HANCOCK, OF REIDSVIILLE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM '1, BURKHALTER, OF REIDSVILLE, GEORGIA.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be" it known that I, GEORGE H. IIANOOGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reidsville, in the county of Tattnall and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Choppers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in cotton choppers.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of this class in which the chopping hoes may be so interchanged as to regulate the distances between the respective hills.

A second object of this invention is to provide a friction gear under the control of the operator for throwing the cutting hoes into and out of operation, and a still further object is to provide means for adjusting the rear end of the hoe-supporting frame vertically to regulate the depth of the cut of the hoes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the inventionconsists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cotton chopping machine embodying my improvements Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, showing the means for throwing the hoe driving and supporting shaft into and out of gear.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only, and are therefore not drawn to any particular scale, the frame 1 of the machine, which has been shown for the purpose of illustration, as comprising the side and cross pieces 2 and 3, respectively, is mounted at its forward end upon the supporting wheels 4 and 5, respectively, revolubly mounted upon the drive shaft 6.

A hoe driving and supporting shaft 7 extends longitudinally of the main frame and has its opposite ends mounted in suitable Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 13, 1910.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910. Serial No. 537,870.

bearings 8 and 9, mounted respectively upon the front and rear cross pieces 2 and 3 of the main frame. The forward end of the shaft 7 projects somewhat in advance of the front cross piece and is provided with a friction wheel 10, which is adapted to work against the inner face of a friction disk 11, carried by the drive shaft 6. The bearing 8 is provided at opposite ends and at its bottom with longitudinal extensions 12, which fit in undercut recesses 13, in the cross piece 2, where. by said bearing is capable of a limited lon gitudinal or endwise movement to provide for the engagement or disengagement of the friction wheel 10 with the friction disk 11.

While various methods may be resorted to for holding the friction wheel 10 in yieldable engagement with the friction disk 11, I have shown the following mechanism: A hand lever lat is pivoted to the front cross piece and is provided near its lower end with an offset 15, provided with an extension 16, which receives one end of a coil spring 17, the opposite end of which is received by a second extension 18, formed at one end of the bearing 8. The lever is also provided with a pawl 19, which engages the teeth of a ratchet 20 mounted upon the front cross piece 2 of the frame, whereby the coil spring may be held compressed and in turn, hold the friction wheel 10 in engagement with the friction disk 11.

The hoe-carrying disks 21 are preferably two in number, and are suitably mounted upon the shaft 7 in spaced relation, or with one in advance of the other. These disks are provided in their peripheries with square recesses or sockets 22, which receive the correspondingly shaped inner ends as 23 of the shanks 24 of the chopping hoes 25, the shanks of the hoes being held in removable engagement with said disks by the retention screws 26. Then the respective hills of cotton are to be close together, the front disk is provided with four ten-inch hoes, while the hoes in the rear disk are removed. For eighteen inch hills, larger hoes are used or the two disks moved in closer proximity. For two feet hills, ten inch hoes are used on the first disk, while but two hoes are connected with the rear disks so as to out every other hill left by the first series of hoes. To

disk.

, ments by a pawl and ratchet 32 and 33, re-

spectively. By means of this hand lever, the rear end of the supporting frame may be adjusted at different heights to regulate the depth of the cut of the chopping hoes. The supporting wheel 4 is provided with one member, as 34: of a clutch, the other member as 35 of which is keyed on the right hand end of the drive shaft 6 and is adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the clutch member 34 by the operating lever 36 pivoted upon the bearing member 37 and connected at its forward end by a fork 38, which fits in a peripheral groove 39 in the hub 40 of the movable clutch member. The operating lever 36 is held in either position by the usual pawl and clutch device. By the above described device, it will be obvious that the operating mechanism for the chopping hoes may be thrown into and out of gear.

The supporting wheel for the rear end of the main frame is arranged at one side of the longitudinal center of the frame so as not to crush the cotton, while the shafts 41 which are pivoted to the drive shaft 6 are also arranged at one side of the center.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is A cotton chopper comprising a main frame, a drive shaft mounted therein, a hoe operating shaft mounted upon the main frame, a laterally adjustable bearing for the front end of the hoe operating shaft, a friction wheel at the front end of said last mentioned shaft, a friction disk on the drive shaft toengage said friction wheel and a hand lever pivoted on said frame, means for holding said lever in adjusted position and a coiled spring between the adjustable bearing and said lever to hold the friction wheel of the hoe operating shaft in yieldable engagement with the friction disk.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing \\'it nesses.

GEORGE H. HANCOCK. Witnesses W. T. BURKHALTER, B. H. Gnoovnn. 

